1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a hand protection device for protecting the fingers of a hand while working with knives, cutting tools, needles, or other sharp instruments. While not limited to any particular application, the hand protection device is particularly effective as a shield for protecting the fingers of a hand holding food while a second hand cuts or prepares the food with a sharp implement, such as a knife, cleaver, chopper, or other sharp tool.
2. Description of the Related Art
Safety is a matter of concern when using cutting implements, e.g., when preparing food or cutting a piece of wood with a sharp implement. Protection against stab wounds is likewise a matter of concern when using needles, awls, hooks, or other sharp implements while sewing, working with leather, fishing lines, etc. It is well known that a sharp tool, such a sharp kitchen knife, presents a hazard to a person""s hands and fingers. For example, an accident with a knife can cause a serious injury to the tendons of a finger. A routine cooking task such as slicing up a carrot can lead to nasty wounds to more than one finger of a person""s hand. Even experienced cooks can suffer serious cuts to their hands, or to the fingers of a hand, from a sharp slicing knife while preparing food. Likewise metal and wood workers can suffer serious injury to an unprotected hand when using a sharp tool.
Various hand and finger protection devices are available. Although such devices do provide adequate protection, quite often they are cumbersome to use. Other devices are less cumbersome to use, but provide only partial protection to the fingers of a hand, e.g. protecting just the finger tips. Thus, what is needed is a protective shield that adequately protects the fingers of a hand without unduly interfering with the task of cutting or slicing meat, vegetables, and the like. The protective shield should be suitable for use with small and large cutting or slicing knives.
A metal finger shield is provided by the Meilleur du Chef Club(trademark) (hereinafter the xe2x80x9cMDC shieldxe2x80x9d), as shown on a web page published Jan. 20, 2003 at www.meilleurduchef.com/cgi/mdc/1/en/boutique/produits/petit_mal/ess-digiclass.html. The MDC shield has an adjustable ring attached to the rear face of a metal shield. The MDC shield at best only protects the finger tips. The MDC shield attaches only to the middle finger. In addition, the MDC shield is designed to work best with small utensils.
Other efforts have been made to address such problems. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 351,257 (Roberts et al.) shows an ornamental design for a finger shield for use while cutting and dicing food. The ""257 shield. comprises two rings attached to the rear of the shield which makes it cumbersome to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,027 (Katz et al.) describes a hand and finger shield comprising a front and rear wall, and at least one intermediate wall. A user obtains protection from a cutting or dicing knife when the fingers are placed on either side of the intermediate wall, and between the front and rear walls. The ""027 shield is cumbersome to use because a user can""t easily use his fingers to hold the food being cut or diced.
Other patents showing shields and the like, but which do not suggest a hand protection device according to the claimed invention, include the following U.S. Patents: Des. Pat. No. 391,029 (Katz et al.), Des. Pat. No. 414,300 (Silvey), Des. Pat. No. 415,321 (Silvey), Des. Pat. No. 418,258 (Moro), U.S. Pat. No. 474,237 (Frost), U.S. Pat. No. 1,184,710 (Baumann), U.S. Pat. No. 2,149,922 (Lemire), U.S. Pat. No. 2,488,697 (Bakke), U.S. Pat. No. 2,501,571 (Liedtke), U.S. Pat. No. 2,811,767 (Dufford), U.S. Pat. No. 3,074,399 (Bitting), U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,222 (Adams), U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,113 (Nicklous), U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,804 (Consigny), U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,843 (Casenhiser), U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,508 (Kim), U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,626 (Sorrels), U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,856 (Buckland), U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,296 (Peck), U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,063 (Bates), U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,027 (Katz et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,227 (Rabin et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,148 B1 (Graham), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,059 (Calvert).
Foreign patents showing shields and the like, but which do not suggest a hand protection device according to the claimed invention, include European Patent No. 124,148 and United Kingdom Patent No. 2,183,990.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a hand protection device solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The present invention is a hand protection device for protecting the fingers of a hand used to hold a workpiece while a second hand operates a sharp instrument to cut or stab the workpiece. The device forms a shield composed of a thin sheet of material having a width adapted to extend across all four fingers of the hand, and a height adapted to extend for approximately the length of the distal two phalanges and a portion of the proximal phalange. The top portion of the shield is bent or curved to form a lip over the interphalangeal joint between the first (proximal) and second (middle) rows of phalanges. The bottom portion of the shield is bent or curved at about a 45xc2x0 angle to protect the third (distal) row of phalanges. The device includes a hollow, substantially cylindrical holder or saddle having an axial slot defined therein for receiving the middle phalange of one finger.
The distance between the top portion and the bottom portion of the shield is slightly greater than the length of the middle phalange, but less than the combined length of the middle and distal phalanges. Since the width of the shield extends across the width of the four fingers (the index finger through the little finger), when the middle phalange of the index or middle finger is inserted through the holder, all of the four fingers flex at the interphalangeal joint between the middle and distal phalanges, the shield being interposed between the knife and the fingers. Protection of the interphalangeal joint between the proximal and middle phalanges is provided by the top portion of the shield. The bottom portion of the shield may be generally triangular in shape, the bottom edge extending farther downward and rearward at the middle than at the opposing sides of the shield in order to accommodate the greater length of the middle finger.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to prevent injuries to the fingers of one hand holding a workpiece while the other hand manipulates a sharp instrument to cut, stab, chop, cleave, or otherwise shape the workpiece.
It is another object of the invention to provide a protection device that is not limited to protecting only the finger tips of a hand.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a protection device that can be attached to a single finger, but which protects all four fingers of the hand from injuries caused by manipulation of a knife or other sharp implement.
It is another object of the invention to allow an inexperienced cook to quickly slice food without fear of serious injury to the fingers of the non-knife holding hand.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a shield which acts as a guide for controlling the up and down movement of a cutting knife.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.